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shadowprophet
July 13th, 2006, 16:17
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/3083/obitkotok1bw.jpg

Some Sad news that has went unsaid For far too long, The man you see here is Alan Kotok, And hes a very important man. You may find yourself asking why If you dont already know. He Helped create the First Video Game and the First JoyStick.
Here is an article found thanks to Tatsujin Via IRC,
Here is the Alan Kotok (http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/obit-kotok.html) Story.

Alan Kotok, 64, created joystick

Sarah H. Wright, News Office
June 13, 2006
Computer pioneer Alan Kotok, an MIT alumnus who helped create both the first video game and the gaming joystick, died of a heart attack in his home in Cambridge, Mass., on Friday, May 26. A native of Philadelphia, he was 64.

Kotok (S.B. 1962) entered MIT at age 16 and became swiftly involved in developing chess-playing computer programs, designing new systems for MIT's Tech Model Railroad and, with a group of friends, coming up with their original video game, Spacewar. Tim Berners-Lee, founder and director of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which is housed in MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, described Kotok as "one of the early wise men of computer science."

The unflappable Kotok was "not only technically adept well beyond the norm, but also possessed a childlike delight in all things ingenious or intriguing. Wit, wisdom and sheer human warmth defined him, yet he commanded total respect. He would humbly take on anything which simply needed doing," Berners-Lee said.Kotok had been W3C associate chairman since 1997. In highlighting Kotok's many contributions to the field that literally grew up with him, Berners-Lee pointed to Kotok's important programs for early Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) and IBM computers, including the well-known Kotok-McCarthy chess program at MIT, which became Kotok's S.B. thesis.

Kotok spent 34 years with DEC in numerous leadership roles, retiring in 1996. He served as technical director for product strategy and development groups in telecommunications, storage and Internet. While at DEC, he was chief architect of the PDP-10 family of computers and a logic designer for the early DEC PDP-6 computer. Later, he became chief architect on the influential DECsystem-10 timesharing computer system and a senior consultant to Digital's Alta Vista project, an early Internet search engine.

Gordon Bell, senior researcher in Microsoft's Media Presence Research Group, worked with Kotok at DEC in the 1960s. Kotok was "calm, constant and unflappable with a wonderful sense of humor. He loved telephony and probably knew more about it than anyone in the company. This was invaluable to us as communication is the mainstay of computing today."Kotok also provided leadership as a member of the Corporate Strategy Group, which advocated early adoption and integration of Internet and Web-based technologies.

Kotok, whose daughter Leah affectionately called him "King Nerd," had a lifelong interest in all things mechanical. His love of trains, which surged into passion at MIT, arose in childhood: His father owned a New Jersey hardware store that sold toy trains at Christmas, and Kotok set up the annual train displays.As for electronics, a family legend tells how Kotok, then 5, stuck a metal screwdriver into an electric outlet and was tossed across a room. Kotok himself recalled this with characteristic understatement -- "I was always interested in electrical engineering!" -- in a 2004 interview.In the same interview, Kotok described his 1956 encounter with a "giant thinking machine" on a school field trip to the Mobil Research Lab in New Jersey as the "spark that triggered me.

We went through a programming exercise, punched up the cards, put them into the machine and the printer clank-clanked and we got the answers. I said, 'Computers! This is it!'"
Kotok married the former Judith McCoy in 1977; she died in 2005.Kotok is survived by two daughters, Leah Beth Kotok of Ashburnham, Mass. and Frederica Beck of Prescott, Ariz.; a son and daughter-in-law, Daryl and Shelly Beck of Greenfield, Mass.; and two grandsons.


The funeral was private. A memorial service is being planned for the fall.Donations in Kotok's memory may be made to the Westfield Center for Early Keyboard Studies, P.O. Box 505, Orcas, WA 98280; the Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA 94043; or the Judith Kotok Memorial Scholarship, c/o the Longy School of Music, One Follen St., Cambridge, MA 02138.

Leave Feedback Via comments Below

vettacossx
July 13th, 2006, 16:22
god bless him and may he rest in peace :(

steve-b
July 13th, 2006, 16:26
so who wants to port his 'first video game' to the psp for us? :)

ovrlord
July 13th, 2006, 16:47
if it wasnt for mr kotok gaming as we know it today wouldnt be the same
may we be eternaly in his debt (i know i will)
and may he rest in peace :(

slayer2psp
July 13th, 2006, 16:50
R.I.P its okay he can hang out with my mom in heaven.

Malksta
July 13th, 2006, 16:54
i would like to thank him for all that he has done for gaming and may he rest in peace. R.I.P :(

Masch
July 13th, 2006, 17:04
i won Breakout :cool:

mesosade
July 13th, 2006, 17:58
i won Breakout :cool::mad:
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
i can't believe you! if it were'nt for him you wouldn't be playing that bloody game!

Shadowblind
July 13th, 2006, 18:08
dang, that sucks...

The Hombrew Hunter
July 13th, 2006, 18:20
I never knew about him in the creation of video games...

God damn teachers, never telling you god damn anything...

Ennohex
July 13th, 2006, 18:25
Thanks for the important news Shadow.
May his family celebrate his life.

Video_freak
July 13th, 2006, 18:29
i won Breakout :cool:

not only is that completly disrespectful, but its also against the rules. you completly de-railed from the forum! since its your fist post you might get lucky and get a warning.

back on topic,

thank you Mr. Kotok (did anyone notice its spelled the same backwards?), your an insperation to all of us video game freaks :)

BALL_SAC
July 13th, 2006, 18:31
Thats sad.... I believe this man was mention on G4 tv.

RIP

Video_freak
July 13th, 2006, 18:35
ya i thought i saw him on G4TV, but i wasnt sure....

Accordion
July 13th, 2006, 18:44
that is sad.
i understand what this great man did for the industry, though
i thought the first videogame was noughts and crosses played on an altered osciloscope in 1957. i might be wrong

HelloWorld
July 13th, 2006, 18:53
Long live the King of Nerds.
R.I.P.

mesosade
July 13th, 2006, 19:59
Long live the King of Nerds.
R.I.P.
if i was a mod ur arse would be flamed by now...just coz ur anonymous doesn;t give u the right to be disrespectful...

Voltron
July 13th, 2006, 20:20
Life would be pretty dull without innovators like Kotok. I think the gaming industry has surpassed everyones expectations. And this is largely due to early contributors such as this guy going against the odds.

Video_freak
July 13th, 2006, 21:33
if i was a mod ur arse would be flamed by now...just coz ur anonymous doesn;t give u the right to be disrespectful...

i dont think he was insulting him, even though it could easily be interpreted that way

Mustang
July 13th, 2006, 22:25
Thanks Alan and rest in peace

Gone to the great High Score Table in the sky :)

felonyr301
July 13th, 2006, 22:39
God bless him and R.I.P

Shilo
July 13th, 2006, 22:43
May he R.I.P.

Masch
July 13th, 2006, 23:42
not only is that completly disrespectful, but its also against the rules. you completly de-railed from the forum! since its your fist post you might get lucky and get a warning.

back on topic,

thank you Mr. Kotok (did anyone notice its spelled the same backwards?), your an insperation to all of us video game freaks :)

forgive me, my right brain are terrible, and i am handicapped to talk

tophead420
July 14th, 2006, 02:44
a very sad day for the gaming community id like to thank him for everything he done becuz i feel in luv with video games and on my behalf thank you so much Alan for all you work and may you R.I.P

Is'lan
July 14th, 2006, 02:53
I find it appropriate to quote/paraphrase a well-known movie. "He was the first among us. A bright light has gone out."

To our unsung hero, I raise my glass in a toast. Sleep well, my friend. You may be unfamiliar to me, but you shan't be unrecognized.

RedKing14CA
July 14th, 2006, 03:04
Thanks for the important news Shadow.
May his family celebrate his life.
wow... pride of life brb gotta eat... ya i send my regrets

Is'lan
July 14th, 2006, 03:12
A friend of mine has just started a trend. I would like to ask those who care to take a can of soda outside and pour half of it away, and try to swallow the rest in one gulp, to honor him. I just managed to pull it off with some root beer.

RedKing14CA
July 14th, 2006, 03:32
Thanks for the important news Shadow.
May his family celebrate his life.
wow... pride of life... i send my regrets, we may be able to thank him one day...

Dweezledap
July 14th, 2006, 08:27
if i was a mod ur arse would be flamed by now...just coz ur anonymous doesn;t give u the right to be disrespectful...

If you had read the article it stated his "daughter Leah affectionately called him King Nerd".
I am sure there was no disrespect intended.

I was not aware of Mr. Kotok's contributions to the gaming community.
A late thank you, and condolences to his family.

Video_freak
July 17th, 2006, 16:09
forgive me, my right brain are terrible, and i am handicapped to talk

sorry to hear that man. i was kinda pissed when i wrote that. i was being a little too harsh there...